New Delhi: On Monday NIA arrested an alleged fake currency smuggler from Sealdah railway station in Kolkata who is said to be the mastermind of a gang busted by the agency last year.

The arrest was made as National Investigation Agency was investigating a case after two persons were held on 12 May last year from Sujapur in West Bengal and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) with face value of Rs nine lakh and about 800 grams of opium were recovered from them.

The smuggler, Alam Sekh, who was arrested this morning, is an alleged key player along with another accused Jahirul Sk and used to collect fake currency notes from smugglers in Bangladesh at the rate of Rs 18,000 for FICN of Rs one lakh face value, it said.

Representational image. AFP

The agency alleged that he used to forward the fake notes to one Amerul Sk, already arrested by NIA, who acted as a carrier for another absconding FICN dealer for further circulation in different states.

Alam had been absconding for the last 4-5 months. He has been produced before NIA Special Court and remanded in 12 days police custody with NIA.

The two smugglers who were arrested last year — Sunesh Kumar Sharma of Haryana and Rajan Chopra alias Rajen Kumar of Punjab — have already been charge-sheeted in the case.